ZCLU DEMANDS RELEASE OF ZAMBIAN-BORN YOUTHS ALLEGEDLY DETAINED AS FOREIGNERS
By Patricia Mbewe
The Zambian Civil Liberties Union -ZCLU- has expressed deep concern and outrage over the alleged detention of two Zambian-born youths, Patience Mutima and Ndayasiba Theophille, who are being held at twin palm police station in Lusaka as illegal immigrants.
ZCLU Executive Director Isaac Mwanza has disclosed the development, saying this is despite the duo being born in Zambia to refugee parents.
Mr. Mwanza argues that the detention is unconstitutional and inhumane, as the individuals are entitled to apply for Zambian citizenship under article 37 of the Zambian constitution.
He says this case highlights a larger crisis where children born in Zambia to refugee parents are routinely arrested, detained, and criminalized, with many individuals in similar situations lacking access to legal representation, leading to prolonged detention and conviction.
Mr. Mwanza says the organization is demanding the immediate release of the two and is calling for a review of existing immigration and citizenship laws to align them with the constitution and international human rights instruments.
Phoenix News is yet to get a reaction from Department of Immigration Chief Public Relations Officer Namati Nshinka.
PHOENIX NEWS
Isaac who are these two who dont have Zambian names?. That aside, where is their birth record or certificate if they were born in Zambia? Prove that aside from not having these documents that these two are Zambians.
The number of people who have been trafficed into Zambian and some reported to have died is a tell tale of the level of human trafficing.
I think you point here is misplaced and these individuals in the absence of documents to prove they are Zambians; you are making an assumption and speculating.
Zambians are wallowing with out representation and you want to place a rubber stamp on people whose last names are not zambian.
According to the zambian law it’s not automatic that if you are born here you get zambian citizenship but instead you are given your parents citizenship. So those youths must go to the country of their parents or else apply for zambian citizenship in the correct manner.